Their winning run was blown apart by Gloucester in the LV=Cup when they found themselves 19-0 behind after the first quarter.

They did better against Quins the following week but were then 10-0 down early on against London Irish and 8-0 behind before working up a sweat in Bath.

Director of rugby Dai Young said: “It’s something we need to look at. Traditionally throughout the season, our third quarter has been the worst but lately our first 20 minutes have been a bit of an issue.

“We are aware of it because it’s given us mountains to climb early doors, but sometimes you can look for things that aren’t there.